A/N: Characters don't belong to me. Written for Dramione RomCom 2020 fest. Thanks to my beta, dreamsofdramione!
4.26.09
"Daddy? Daddy! Look what I found!"
Draco's head jerked toward the sound of his son, who was standing in the middle of the creek, his hand clasped as though he was holding something—which he probably was. He shook his head to dispel his anxious thoughts. He'd been dwelling on his upcoming lunch meeting with Hermione, unable to shake the feeling that something would happen—something would change.
"What have you got, Score?" He propped himself on his elbows, then pushed up to a seated position when it became clear that Scorpius wasn't moving. "Bring it here!"
Scorpius hurried out of the creek and ran over to Draco. When he got close, he opened his hands just enough for Draco to peek inside. He was holding a frog and wearing one of the biggest smiles Draco could remember seeing from his son.
"I want to make a home for him! Can I, Daddy?"
Draco chuckled and checked his watch. "He needs to stay around here, where his home is."
Scorpius spent the next half hour working on a habitat for his frog. At noon, Draco told him it was time to pack up for the day. Scorpius was disappointed at having to cut his creek time so short, but Draco assured him they could come back when he returned from his meeting.
Scorpius was wet, dirty, and beyond happy.
Draco had never spent much time outdoors as a child, except to fly, so it had been an adjustment for him when Scorpius had asked him for the first time, seemingly out of the blue, if they could go to the creek. At the time, he'd been four, and Draco had been astonished to discover they even had a creek, much less that Scorpius had been to it. But Scorpius had seemed so comfortable with the idea, even making suggestions on what to pack for snacks, that he'd pretended so as not to upset his son. Saying yes to the creek that day had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made as a parent, and they returned often after that.
Once at the Manor, Draco sent Scprpius along with his mother to get cleaned up, then he did the same for himself. As he buttoned his shirt, he found that his hands were shaking slightly—he was nervous! Every other time they'd met, there had been some pretext, however thin it might have been: test scores to compare, a question to answer, a book to discuss. This year there was none of that, no real reason for them to meet up. Yet they were. And it felt… different.
Whatever the reason, he planned to make the most of it and enjoy his time with her. If he took a little extra care and time getting ready, then that was between him and his mirror.
Draco arrived at the café first and went inside to request their table. The server that had recognized them before, Olivia, was behind the counter, and she brightened upon seeing him.
"I'll take care of this, Sally," she said to the hostess. "I had given up on you two! Expected you for breakfast. Where's the baby? Oh, I know he isn't really a baby still, but that's the last time I saw him."
"He's actually five now, and he's at home with my mother."
"I understand." The server winked. "Sometimes you just need some alone time. What's so special about this day every year, anyway?"
Draco chuckled wryly. "It's... My wife's birthday."
Her eyes went wide. "Oh! I see. Well, let me just get your table ready, won't be more than a minute!"
"Thank you." Draco gave her a warm smile. He had a healthy appetite today after a long morning at the creek, and he planned to order one of their desserts to take home for Scorpius and his mother.
Soon after she disappeared into the back, Hermione arrived.
"Hey." She bumped into him with her shoulder in a friendly way.
Draco turned to greet her, but when he saw her, his thoughts skittered to a halt in his brain. His throat went dry at the sight of her in tight fitting Muggle denims and a loose, flowy blouse. Her hair was pulled back, away from her face, but left down in the back, where her curls were free.
Granted, he had chosen his clothes with more care than usual, selecting something a notch up from casual. He'd tried to think back on what he'd worn before but gave up the effort. Nothing had been remarkable.
"You're all set!" Olivita returned, beaming at the pair of them. "Right this way!"
"Hello," he mumbled finally, as they followed the server to their table.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the table. Their server had put on a white tablecloth and set the table with fancy China. There was a vase with a small bouquet of flowers and two lit, tapered candles. There was even a small cupcake at one of the places with a candle in the top.
"Surprise!" The server clapped her hands and pulled out a matchbook. She lit the cupcake candle and pulled out the chair. "Ma'am?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco but went to sit in her seat.
"Here are the menus, and I'll be back in a few minutes for your orders." She smiled one more time and bustled away.
Draco chuckled in amusement and sat down
"Um, Draco? What's all this?"
He shrugged and opened his menu. "My guess is that the server is a romantic. He motioned to the cupcake. "I told her it was my wife's birthday."
She looked confused for an instant, then her cheeks went red and she looked away. "Oh! You, um, said I was your wife?"
"No, she assumed I was referring to you." He leaned over the menu as though very interested in the lunch offerings.
"I see." Somehow, her cheeks got even redder. "So you didn't set this up, then?"
"I did not." He brought the menu up so that she couldn't see his cheeks, which were feeling rather warm as well.
"Well, all right, then. We'll just... order, shall we?"
They silently perused the menus. Draco had never been there for lunch, so he wanted to make sure he didn't miss any options. Their server brought out their usual tea selections when she took their orders, and then they were left alone.
Draco took his time preparing his tea; his brain still wasn't quite working properly, and he kept wanting to sneak glances at Hermione. But such a task could not take forever, and he refused to let their time together be awkward.
"I'm anxious to hear how your school year is going." He must have said the exact right thing because her entire face lit up—which only made his heart pound again.
"It's fabulous! It really is. I love everything about teaching and about this school."
"Yeah? What's so great?" He smirked. "If I'm going to send my child there, I need to make sure it's worth it."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I already know you're sending Scorpius. You—I mean, you in this time—have already registered him for next year."
Draco grinned. "Ha. Well, I still want to know what you like so much about it."
She set her cup down and put her hands in her lap. "Oh, there are so many things! I wanted to make a difference at the Ministry but felt thwarted at every turn. With the kids, I get to impact an entire generation! They will grow up and, en masse, take Ministry jobs, and I have to believe that what they learn from me—much more than their school lessons—will stay with them."
"What do you teach beside school lessons?" He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her, in her own words, so he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
Their food arrived then. After the server set down their plates, she leaned down to whisper—not at all subtly—in Hermione's ear. "Count yourself lucky, ma'am. A bloke who listens like this one is a rare find, let me tell you." She winked at Hermione as she walked away.
"Honestly, next she'll be showing us the back room!" Hermione burst out, once the server was out of ear shot.
Draco's eyes widened as his mind instantly began to display images of what she'd said, and he felt his cheeks burn far worse than before.
Her words hit her at roughly the same time and she clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh! Bloody hell, I'm so sorry! Why on Earth did I say that?"
He wondered if she'd said it because she'd been thinking about it, and then he felt he was in danger of possibly dying. No, this wouldn't do. They needed to turn the conversation to something safe. He cleared his throat but couldn't quite look her in the eye. "So, um, teaching?"
"Yes! Well, it's not so much in specific subjects, but more in terms of getting the kids comfortable with each other. I've had a few pureblood kids this year—thanks to your pledge to send Scorpius next year—and it's been so great to see them open their minds. The kids learn about each other, which is just what I wanted. And we aim to teach compassion and empathy, two huge factors in children growing up to be… well—"
"Not prejudiced bigots?" he supplied.
She laughed. "Yes, exactly."
Draco chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Have you seen, uh, me lately? You know, past me?"
Hermione swallowed her bite, then took a drink of tea. "Not too much. You came to the school with Astoria to take an official tour in November."
"I remember that. We had our 'pretend marriage' cover going strong that day." One vivid memory of that day had been seeing Hermione on the floor with her class sitting around her in a circle while she read to them from a picture book.
"Yes, you were holding hands, even. I was surprised, honestly. I'd expected… well, when I saw that you were coming, I didn't expect her to come at all." Hermione's cheeks pinked slightly, and he wondered what she was thinking.
"Astoria had very strong opinions on Scorpius's education, so she had no intention of skipping. We agreed to show a united front, especially in front of you and the other teachers." He shrugged. "We always presented that way in public, though. Even when we were angry or hadn't spoken to each other in months."
Her eyes went wide. "Did that happen? Long stretches without speaking?"
"Yes. Especially in the last couple of years. It was so bad I even wondered if she was seeing someone, though I knew she hadn't been physically unfaithful to me." On second thought, he suspected she may have started seeing Theo.
"How did you know?"
Draco grimaced; he didn't think she would find the Fidelity Clause and its corresponding Charm amusing, but he told her all about it anyway.
"That's… archaic." She made a face of disgust.
"It's very common in—"
"It's common for the bride to basically get a payoff for not sleeping around on her husband?" She'd raised her voice at the end, but she realized quickly and took a deep breath. "It's disgusting. The only point of it is to showcase a nice, happy facade to the world."
"I'm not going to argue with you. As I said, it's standard in marriages such as ours."
She clenched her jaw and held up a finger, pointing it at him. "Arranged marriages for the purpose of continuing a certain bloodline are revolting."
"As it happens, I agree with you, and should I get married again, it will be very, very different." Without thinking, he reached out and put his hand on her arm. He'd acted on instinct, as though physically touching her would draw some of her anger away.
She looked down at his hand and took a deep breath. "I'm listening."
"There's no point in arguing when we agree. I'm simply telling you what the situation is. Was I happy? No. Not even close. The only thing about my marriage that I'm happy about is Scorpius, and because of him, I can't regret a single moment, even the bad ones had their purpose." Hermione pulled her arm toward her slightly, so that his hand came to rest on hers instead of her wrist. It sent a shower of nervous sparks through his body, but he didn't withdraw his hand. "I was… numb. Mostly. I simply moved from one moment to the next, doing my duty to my family name, to the business, to my parents, without a single thought to my own happiness. Honestly, looking at it now, walking in on Astoria and Theo was the best thing that ever happened to me."
Hermione's eyes flew wide open and her hand, the one under his, flipped over so that he was now inadvertently holding it. "Theo? Nott?"
"Bugger," he whispered, shutting his eyes. "I hadn't meant to tell you that."
She gaped at him a moment longer, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm just so surprised! Theo? But… he's one of your friends, isn't he?"
Draco groaned and thought about pulling his hand away. "Yes. At least, I thought he was."
She started lightly rubbing his knuckles with her thumb in a very distracting way, sending pleasant little shocks through him. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm quite over it by now. Like I said, that wasn't something I'd planned to divulge. Not on this side of my time travel trip, at least." He slid his hand out from under hers so that he could dab his mouth with his napkin and finish drinking his tea. Merlin, it had been a very long time since he'd felt fluttery when he touched a woman. Actually, it had been a long time since he'd felt anything. Though, perhaps he'd started to thaw already, before discovering his wife cheating, since he'd been feeling the first inklings of interest toward Hermione. But that had been strictly borne of a few extended conversations with her when he'd collected Scorpius after school.
"Why didn't you want to tell me?"
Draco motioned to Olivia and requested another cup of tea. Hermione then ordered one for herself.
He waited until they were alone again. "Because I don't know anything about your life right now, and if Theo was in it, unbeknownst to me, I didn't want to say something that might interfere with how things turn out."
"You thought there was a possibility that Theo Nott was somehow in my life?" Her tone was incredulous.
"It's not that I thought he was, I merely didn't want to risk anything. If you run into him tomorrow and curse him out, well, then, that might affect my future."
Hermione laughed. "I promise not to curse, hex, or harm Theodore Nott in any way. I don't think there's any sort of danger of that, since I never see him, even in passing. He keeps to himself."
Draco scowled, wondering how long Theo had been seeing Astoria before they'd started shagging. There was no telling, really, and he doubted Astoria would be honest if he'd asked. "He could be with Astoria right now."
"I thought you said there was a very strict, binding Fidelity Clause that was never broken."
"Just because she didn't have sex with someone doesn't mean she was faithful. Certain things would have been permissible without breaking the Clause."
She made a disgusted face. "Was that your idea?"
"Merlin, no. You think I wanted to write in a reward for her for not technically cheating on me?" He shook his head. "My father was the one who insisted on it. He was trying to ensure that I'd have a stretch of time in relative peace, where I didn't have to worry about a scandal showing up in the newspaper. His intentions were…"
"Misguided, at best?" she finished with venom in her tone.
Draco sighed. "I'm not sure I understand the vehemence you're displaying. It doesn't affect you, all parties entered into the contract willingly, and there was no deception involved."
She pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. After a moment, she let out a huff. "You're right, of course, it doesn't affect me, but… marriage should be about love and commitment and choosing to spend your life with someone!"
"Again, I agree with you. I was young and hung up on fulfilling my familial duties. Now I'm more than happy to toss them in the bin!" He spread his hands wide against the tabletop. "There was a time when I thought things with Astoria might work. That was a long time ago, though, and I felt trapped. There was no point in looking for more than what I had because divorce is so stigmatized in my circles." He brought his hands together and joined them, leaning across the table. "I don't feel that way now. I want everything you just said—love, commitment, choice." He sat back and stirred his tea. "And I'll have them—soon."
"You still plan on following through with the divorce?" Her hands were wrapped around her cup and there was a little bit of fear in her eyes.
His first impulse was to be frustrated with her. Why did she keep asking? He hadn't done or said anything to indicate that he was wavering in his aims, but instead, he took a deep breath. She only saw him once a year and while it was day after day for him, she was moving at a different pace through time. "Yes. Nothing could keep me in this marriage."
"Okay." She let out a sigh and gave him a little smile. "So, tell me what Scorpius has been interested in lately. I can't wait to have him as a student!"
Their conversation flowed easily, one topic blending into the next. They were just about to start a discussion on a law the Ministry had passed when Olivia appeared again.
"I hate to interrupt—truly, I do—but we're about to close."
Draco went wide-eyed and looked at Hermione, who was equally stunned.
"Here's your bill, I'll just leave it here." She set a slip of paper on the table.
"Wait, I'd meant to order two slices of pie to go. I'd also love another cup of tea—to go. I'm sorry, we didn't realize the time."
The server grinned. "Really! It's fine. We're only open for breakfast and lunch, and it's nearly four. I'd say take your time, but we need to start cleaning up. I'll get that pie and tea ready as soon as possible."
Hermione reached for her bag, but Draco had come prepared. "I've got this. My turn."
She frowned. "No, I didn't pay last time, remember we—"
"Hermione. I'm doing this." His tone brokered no room for discussion.
"All right. I'm going to run to the loo, I'll be back soon."
Draco nodded and watched her walk away, his mouth going dry once more at the sight of those tight Muggle jeans.
"Get a room, you two!" The server laughed as she set down a to go cup and a paper bag.
Draco felt his cheeks burn.
"Oh, don't be shy. She's got a fabulous arse, and you're quite good looking as well. I bet your children are absolutely beautiful." She winked at him and set down a fresh slip of paper. "Pie's in the bag, here's the new bill. Have a nice day."
Draco waited until she was gone before picking up the bill. He'd gone to the bank to exchange for Muggle money so that he could not only pay for the meal today, but also leave their server a generous tip. When he saw Hermione emerge, he pulled out the paper money, tucked it discreetly amongst their dishes along with a note, grabbed his extra purchases, and hurried to her. He took her arm, gently but firmly in his, wanting to get out as quickly as possible in the hope of avoiding any reaction the server might have to his tip.
"Everything okay?" Hermione asked, giving him a skeptical look.
"Fine, just fine. I'm just anxious to get outside, that's all. Fresh air, you know." He relaxed once they were through the door, and he had a plan for what he wanted to happen next. "I want to get some ice cream to go with the pie. Going American style for dessert tonight." He grinned. "Want to join me? My treat."
Her eyes danced. "I would like that, yes. I've cream sounds lovely."
Fifteen minutes later, he had learned that her favorite ice cream flavor was strawberry.
"I associate it with my second visit to Diagon Alley, when Harry bought Ron and I giant cones from Fortescue's."
They stepped out of the shop and Draco surreptitiously cast a Charm to keep the ice cream from melting. Then he nodded across the street to the park where they'd spent a couple of hours a few days before. "Shall we check on our bench?"
Hermione grinned. "Lead the way."
They walked in silence for a few minutes, soaking up the late afternoon sun and watching all the people out enjoying the beautiful weather.
He wanted to ask about next year, not daring to hope that she'd want to spend any of it with him. The whole day so far felt like... Well, honestly, it felt like the start of something, though he had no idea how she felt. Yes, she'd wanted to spend time with him today, but so much could happen in a year, and there was no way for him to know if he'd irrevocably altered his timeline.
Hermione finished her ice cream, then pulled a little book from her bag. "Next year, April 26th falls on a Monday." She sighed. "I'll be teaching school then. I don't suppose you'd want to meet for dinner?"
He swallowed hard, focusing on keeping his breath very even. It wasn't as if she'd asked him out on a date.
"I'll bring Scorpius to school, at least. Dinner is a bit tricky on Astoria's birthday. I usually end up joining her wherever she is." Merlin, he wanted nothing more than to ditch dinner with his wife, but he couldn't risk the damage to the timeline. "And any interactions I had with her in my past, I have to repeat, to ensure—"
"The timeline." She sighed. "I know. But seeing you when you drop off Scorpius will be good."
An older couple holding hands walked slowly by, a small dog on a leash trotting along beside them. Draco wondered how long they'd been together and if something like that was in his future.
"I can't believe this whole journey is almost over." He spoke so quietly that he wondered if she'd heard him because she said nothing at first
"Me too. I suppose I'll see you next year, but what about the year after that?"
Draco shrugged and stretched out his legs, leaning back against the bench. "My guess is that I won't relive that day as I've done all the others. If I truly am reliving them, then it would be too easy to make a minor change which could impact everything. If I wake up as myself that day, I believe it will be in that strange shop I escaped into."
"I was never quite clear on that." Hermione turned toward him somewhat, resting her arm on the back of the bench and lifting her leg up to rest in the seat. "Why did you end up in that shop?"
Draco quickly thought back to the next day he'd be reliving and was able to conclude that he'd be joining Astoria for dinner. This was probably their last chance to really talk. "I told you about discovering Astoria... With Theo. What I haven't ever told you... is that later that day, I had a board meeting, and when I arrived, everyone was already assembled—including Theo."
Hermione frowned. "You didn't fire him immediately?"
Draco chuckled. "No. Part of that was shock. Most of it, probably. Anyway, before I even sat down, I was informed that I'd been voted out of the company. I'm almost certain Theo was behind it, even though he wasn't the one who informed me."
She gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "You mean... You're not in charge of Malfoy Industries anymore?"
"Correct. I then proceeded to get pissed, but Scorpius had planned this whole birthday dinner for Astoria, so I had to sober up for that and make myself presentable."
Her eyes were wide with shock. "You had to get through a meal? With her? After... after everything?"
Draco chuckled. "Yes. Then once Score was asleep, I thought I was in the clear, but she tried to talk to me, cornered me in my study, actually. I have no idea what she wanted to say because I left as quickly as I could for the Leaky. Went there, got even more thoroughly pissed until Tom wouldn't serve me anymore. I decided to try somewhere in Knockturn, but as soon as I entered Diagon Alley, there was a swarm of reporters. I ran down an alley and somehow ended up in that strange shop, where I fell into a pile of cushions. I then heard a voice tell me—and this was strange—that I was right on time."
"As if you'd been expected?"
Draco nodded. "Then the room went fuzzy, and I saw what looked like flickers of light dancing in the air above me. I fell asleep and woke up just in time for you to slap me in third year."
"Hm." She raised the hand on the back of the bench to her mouth and bit her nail. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
"Timeline concerns, mainly. And… I mean, when I first woke up, you were fourteen. Not the time to share, in graphic detail, what my wife was getting up to."
She smacked his arm playfully. "You could have told me you'd also lost your company!"
He shook his head. "Too risky. There's no telling what effect one off-hand comment could have. Besides, it wasn't that important."
"How do you feel about getting back? Are you excited? Anxious?"
Draco stared off into the distance, across the park and down a street. He watched the cars move ceaselessly, watched the people move—everything was in motion, always moving.
"I'm dreading it, to be frank. I've thought about what I want to do for days now, but beyond how I deal with Astoria, I don't know what my future holds. I haven't figured out how Theo managed to supplant me. I can't even imagine what my father will say when he finds out." He grimaced. At the absolute minimum, Lucius would be disappointed. Livid, most likely. Although, he might know just what to do to fix the situation, since he probably wouldn't be thrilled at losing his oldest and most profitable segments of his business.
He smirked at the image of Lucius coming to England, a vast cloud of fury, and all of it directed at Theodore Nott. The fact that Lucius had been banished from the island was a minor detail that Draco was fairly certain his father could bypass easily.
"I'm so sorry, Draco. I can't imagine."
"These last few days have been a welcome reprieve, honestly. In my school years, I certainly didn't need to study. In my business years, I already knew what was going on. It's been like a strange… holiday, almost." He grimaced. "The day in Azkaban was bloody awful, of course. Thanks for visiting me, by the way. Made it tolerable."
Hermione smiled. "I'm pleased that I was able to help you achieve a status of 'tolerable.' That's high praise."
Draco laughed. "For Azkaban, there's not much hope for anything better."
"Do you want the company back?" Hermione asked after a short stretch of comfortable silence.
"I never really wanted it in the first place. But it was mine. Or, rather, my father's, but he put it in my charge. And I messed it up. I have no idea what happened." He shook his head. "But to answer your question, I do not, especially, want it back."
"In that case, have you thought about what you might do instead?" She absently twirled a lock of her curls, and he was hit with a sudden desire to touch them, to feel them, to know for himself if they were as soft as they looked.
He swallowed hard and turned his gaze elsewhere. He couldn't wait to get back to his future and ask her out—of course, that couldn't happen quite as quickly as he'd like because he had to start divorce proceedings before he could even think about approaching her. There were certain rules which had to be followed in order for the divorce to go smoothly for him. He had Astoria's infidelity in his corner, but if she caught even a whiff of his interest in someone else, it could complicate things.
Briefly, Draco wondered if he could kiss her now, in his past, but he'd heard too many stories of Veritaserum being used to settle disputes that he couldn't take the chance. He needed his behavior to be above reproach or suspicion—and, unfortunately, being away from his home for hours today wasn't going to help any.
"I started writing down my experience, like you suggested. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but it's been enjoyable." He sighed and drew his legs in, resting his hands on his thighs. "I should really get going. My mother has been with Scorpius for almost five hours."
"Oh, yes, of course." She stood quickly and brushed herself off. "Shall we head back to the alley?"
Draco joined her, stretching as he did so. "Yes, I think so."
They started off in silence, Draco with his hands shoved into his pockets. He really was anxious about what would happen once he caught up in time. His biggest fear was that none of it was real. He felt certain that it was, but there was no way he could be completely sure, and until he could confirm it, he'd be unsettled.
Some things he knew: he'd divorce Astoria and he'd ask Hermione out. If all of this was pretend, then he'd have to get to know her again—assuming she'd say yes. He glanced at her, walking beside him, her gaze flitting around as she took everything in. She was absolutely worth every effort he could make, and he would do anything to convince her to give him a chance.
"Here we are."
He stopped, surprised at how quickly they'd reached the alley. He glanced down it to see the familiar dumpster they used to Disapparate looking a little worse for wear. "Let's go, then."
Just like they had years before, they scurried down the alley when the coast was clear and tucked themselves behind the dumpster. Now nobody could see them from the street. And also like last time, neither of them seemed in a hurry to leave.
Draco certainly wasn't.
He turned to say something, leaned against the wall to make a joke about the smell or a comment about the weather, but the words died on his tongue when he saw that she was looking at him apprehensively, her eyes searching for something. Then her gaze flitted to his lips and he felt a jolt go through him as though he'd been hit by a spell. They were standing so close he could see the flecks of color in her eyes; he wasn't sure if he was breathing properly anymore. It would only take one strong wind for him to propel into her, and he desperately wished a rogue squall would roar through the alley. He imagined putting his hands on her hips, just there, on her hip bones, or splaying his fingers wide across her back, desperate for as much contact as he could manage. He'd rock forward slightly, smirk as his fringe fell over his right eye, and tug her to him. She'd let out a little sigh and close her eyes just as he pressed his lips to hers.
A car honked behind them, and he jumped, coming back to himself. Hermione let out a shaky breath and gave him a shy smile.
Had he nearly kissed her?
He had nearly kissed her.
He'd certainly been thinking about it. In his mind, he'd just gone through all of the reasons why he couldn't do it, why it was a very bad idea and even dangerous to his future happiness, yet despite all of that, he'd still nearly done it. But he had stopped himself. He'd wanted to—still wanted to—desperately, so much it almost hurt not to, but he couldn't. Even getting this close to her was dangerous, yet still he didn't move.
Hermione was still watching him, her expression inscrutable. If she'd wanted him to kiss her and he didn't, would she conclude that he didn't want to? Four times he started to reach for her—to tug a curl, brush her cheek with the back of his hand, run his hand through her hair, slide an arm around her waist. Everything in him was screaming to act, but his mind was shouting at him to stay. The longer he stared at her, the quieter everything became until all he could hear was his heart pounding.
Then she cleared her throat and looked away, and he hated himself because of course she would get the wrong idea. He should say something, do something, so she'd understand, but she was already stepping away.
"I'll see you in a year, Draco." She smiled slightly and gave him one last wave before Disapparating.
He let his head fall back until he hit the wall, and part of him wanted to bang his head against it. Would it really have been so terrible to have kissed her? Kissing certainly wouldn't break the Fidelity Clause. It was too late to matter, but now that she was gone, he wished he had done it. Except for the fact that, once he'd started, he wouldn't have wanted to stop if she wanted him to keep going.
He shook his head. He only had to get through one more time jump before he'd be back and could truly begin his life.